Just in case you had a busy day, maybe things did not go the way you planned, you may have had a fender bender or lost an account that would have netted you some extra money.It is possible the kids gave you a hard time getting ready for school, or you were aggravated at a phone call from your wife telling you your teenager failed an important class.
You may have been anxiously watching the stock market, planning your retirement, your wedding or building your new home. 
Hopefully, you were not dealing with a hangover. I pray you are not planning on leaving your husband, or deserting your wife and kids because things are getting tough.
I know how hard it is to be away from your parents, cramming for upcoming college tests. I know the anxiety you suffer waiting for that phone call from the employer you hope to work for. 
Maybe, you spent part of the day worrying whether or not you can afford the newest electronic game system for your kids.
Is it possible that today is one of those days that something got under your skin, and you got that 'it's just not fair' feeling? Maybe you lashed out at a friend or colleague because your vacation week was just canceled.
If you have felt like this recently, praise God that you are so fortunate. For many our strife would be a blessing; You stay up for 16 hours,
He stays awake for days on end.
You start the day with a hot shower and coffee,He has not seen running water for weeks.
You complain of a headache and call out of work sick,
He is shot at and sees others hit, and still moves forward.
You put on your anti-war, 'don't support the troops' shirt and meet up with your friends for lunch,He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.
You check your cell phone twenty times a day,
He clutches the cross hanging on a chain next to his dog tags for twenty minutes as mortars and bullets fly over his head.
You talk trash about your buddies when their not with you,He knows he may not see his buddies again.
You walk the beach looking at pretty girls,
He walks the street looking for armed insurgents and IED's.
You complain that the waitress got your order wrong,He does not get to eat today.
You are aggravated when a baby cries,
He wonders if he will ever meet his newborn daughter.
Your mad because you class let out 10 minutes late,
He just learned he will be there 4 more months.You go to the mall to get your hair done,
He did not have time to brush his teeth today.
You see what the media wants you to see,
He sees the broken bodies on the battlefield.
You criticize your government, and say war never solves anything,
He sees the innocents tortured and killed by their own people, and remembers why he is there.
Tomorrow, thank God you live in a free society, and pray for those who risk their lives to keep it that way.
5 comments:
A poignant post appropriate for upcoming Veterans Day--or any day.
I adapted this from an e-mail a friend of mine, a WWII vet sent to me. I hope it stirs the hearts and minds of the people here at home, and reminds them of the sacrifice their countrymen make for them, and their freedoms.
puts things in perspective now, doesn't it?
BTW, those signs from the Westboro Baptist Church "folks" are the most outrageous thing this evil wordls could conjur up. That isn't "our" Westboro thankfully.
Those nuts know nothing of God's love. They are unfortunately, what some think of when the term 'Christian Fundamentalist' is used. These kind of people are another reason why we need to proclaim the Gospel truth, people need to know what Christianity is, and is NOT. These yo-yos are not it!
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